NSSN EBULLETIN 152 We’d like to celebrate the birth of.. 😉 some more industrial action..
Following a spring of industrial action PCS will be spending the summer months consulting all of its branches on how to take its national campaign forward.
In an escalation of the PCS national campaign in support of pay, pensions, jobs, privatisation, terms & conditions & union facility time PCS members were involved in what can only be described (at least metaphorically) as a ‘hot’ spring. It started with a day of national industrial action on March 20, and continued with further group and national action throughout the following months, finishing with protests against the government’s comprehensive spending review announcements on June 27.
PCS is now starting its most ambitious ever consultation exercise. Over the course of two months from mid July to mid September, every single branch in PCS will be visited and asked a range of questions about the forms of industrial action that members would support and how the industrial strategy can be enhanced to make the maximum impact. There will also be a significant focus on organizing and recruiting during this period.
The PCS national campaign continues during this period with an overtime ban and the results of the consultation will be looked at in September. In the meantime PCS is also pursuing the possibility of joint action with other unions. The strikes of November 30 2011 showed what was possible when 30 unions took industrial action together. We now need the TUC to step up to the plate and name the day.
Lobby TUC conference in Bournemouth on 8 September! Name the date for a 24 hour general strike! ‘All out together in November!’ NSSN rally at the TUC Congress at Bournemouth on September 8th followed by a lobby of Congress. Confirmed speakers: Bob Crow, Mark Serwotka and Steve Gillan (RMT, PCS, POA general secretaries) & Alec McFadden is speaking at NSSN TUC lobby – he is the North West representative on TUCJCC for trades councils and also President Merseyside County TUC. & Ronnie Draper (Bakers Unions) 12 noon-3pm Hardy Suite, Hermitage Hotel, Exeter Rd, Bournemouth (opposite Bournemouth International Centre, TUC conference venue). Book a seat on transport from your area: email [email protected] or if you are able to arrange some and have space, let us know.
◦               Build the TUC national demonstration outside Tory Party conference in Manchester on 29 September! March behind the NSSN banner: 24 hour general strike to stop the Tory cuts!
Feel free to use our Model Motion: Lobby TUC 8 September! The FULL affiliation letter and motion can be downloaded from our website. Consider adding – Â that their General secretaries should meet with other willing unions prior to the TUC to liaise on co-ordination & we fully support the 29th September NHS March in Manchester.
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Union News
RMT
RMT rejects derisory Orkney Ferries pay offer in long-running dispute. more
East Midlands Trains industrial action kicks off this weekend as management stall on talks. more
RMT demands investigation into employment practices and exploitation at Mitie/First Great Western after 15 workers arrested in raids over past two nights. more
New research shows a billion pounds robbed from Intercity rail services through privatisation. more
Second near miss in a fortnight on Northern Line as safety failure sends two trains into head-on collision danger on same section of track. more
Cleaners step up fight for living wage with strike on prestige East Coast mainline. more
New report exposes casualisation and pay-roll rip off on Britain’s railways. more
North East transport cleaners end two weeks of strike action in fight for pay justice with mass protest outside Transport Authority meeting. more
PCS
Back the overtime ban to fight the cuts here
Hewlett Packard workers are stepping up their campaign against job cuts with a two-day strike. more
Capita staff in shock over closure. Staff working on a government contract have been left in shock after they were told they were losing their jobs. more
Criminal enforcement staff act against privatization. more
CWU
Save Our Royal Mail. CWU is opposed to the privatisation of Royal Mail. We do not think it is in the interests of postal workers or customers and we’re campaigning to keep the UK’s postal service in public hands. more
Unite
Support UNITE LE1111 Housing workers Strike action ONE HOUSING GROUP more
NHS blood plasma sell-off is ‘the thin end of the wedge’, says Unite. more
Royal Mail managers in consultative ballot over pension cuts and privatisation. more
Sixty per cent nursery nurse cuts by North West trust to be discussed by Department of Health. more
Vince Cable asked to intervene in blacklisting scandal. more
Vince Cable takes one step forward on blacklisting. more
Capita workers to take strike action over paltry pay. more
Unite warns BMW over pensions. more
Problem for Samaritans – derecognising Unite. more
GMB
Blacklisters Must Compensate Victims Or Face Being Shut Out Of Public Contracts For Grave Misconduct Says GMB. more
Brighton Bin dispute is settled after a revised offer was accepted by members.
NUT
Details of rolling action and all out action here
In a recent NUT-commissioned YouGov survey of parents, only a quarter of parents (25%) thought schools should set their own pay system with 60% supporting the continuation of a national pay system for teachers. more
UCU
Strike ballot confirmed at University of Liverpool in row over contracts. more
UNISON
Citizens Advice dispute goes to ACAS. more
University workers urged to vote for strike action. more
Liverpool University threatens to sack staff. more
More News
The coalitions retreat over Universal Credit! more
Top ten private sector commissioning failures. more
Stop the destruction of the NHS in East London. more
Blacklisting
The parliamentary Select Committee investigating blacklisting of union members has referred the Crossrail project and the construction companies Bam – Ferrovial – Kier (BFK) to the government for further investigation.
The announcement was made during evidence given by Stephen Ratcliffe, Director of UK Contractors Group to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. The Blacklist Support Group issued the following statement:
“Blacklisting of union members and workers who raise genuine safety concerns is not some historic episode. It is happening today on the biggest building project in the UK.
The building firms have lied about blacklisting for decades. Why should we believe a word they say? Even the MPs carrying out the investigation do not believe them.
Blacklisted workers applaud the work of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee: referring Crossrail to the government sends out a clear message.
But until Frank Morris gets his job back on Crossrail, the fight continues. And we will use every means at our disposal to achieve justice.
Big business should not be above the law. Only a full Public Inquiry into blacklisting will uncover the true extent of the industrial scale human rights abuse that has taken place against UK citizens.” Â CONTACT Blacklist Support Group <[email protected]>
International (see also labourstart)
South Africa – Solidarity with the South African mineworkers more
Colombia – Drummond accused of murdering union leaders. more
India – Haryana Auto Workers Protest for Rank-and-File Union and Release from Jail. more
Global – Garment workers making less money than 10 years ago. more
Bangladesh – New Bangladesh Law Fails Again to Protect Workers’ Rights. more
Israel – Turning Israel’s port workers into public enemy number one. more
India – The crisis is upon us: Maruti Suzuki and its workers. more
Egypt – IndustriALL deepens its program for independent unions in Egypt. more
India – Nine union leaders released on bail in the Maruti workers struggle. more
Bangladesh – Revised Bangladesh labour law ‘falls short’ of international standards – UN agency. more
Greece – Health workers stage strike against austerity measures. more
Diaryalso sees False Economy
JULY
26 Benefit justice day of action in Brighton
27 Day of Action against bedroom Tax
31 Celebration of a year CSC demo beginning 3-5pm Kilburn Square.
AUGUST
10 Construction workers National Rank and File meeting, Conway Hall, Holborn, 1pm – 4pm
SEPTEMBER
4 Disabled People Against Cuts: Aug-Sept days of action to reclaim our futures!
8 NSSN Rally at the TUC Congress at Bournemouth followed by a lobby of Congress. 12 noon-3pm Hardy Suite, Hermitage Hotel, Exeter Rd, Bournemouth (opposite Bournemouth International Centre – TUC conference venue).(There will be a coach to the lobby from Hampshire)
29 National TUC Demonstration to save our NHS at Tory party Conference
30 Manchester Unite local government branch is hosting a showing of the exhibition about Liverpool’s socialist council 1983-87. Speakers include: Len McCluskey, Tony Mulhearn, Felicity Dowling, Ted Knight & Kevin Bennett. Methodist Central Hall, Oldham St. Manchester. Tel: 0161-234-1896 email [email protected].
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CONTACT US
[email protected] or look on our Website for further info.
Follow us on TWITTER @NSSN_AntiCuts FACEBOOK STOP THE CUTS or NSSN Group
Secretary: Linda Taaffe 
Email: [email protected] orÂ
Phone: 07952 283 558 NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
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